let's play picture catch up

because i'm a slacker...

elaina & daddy waiting to see Santa at the mall

now Mommy & her girl :) ((she did much better than we expected with Santa. we actually got a picture of her and him before she realized who was holding and burst into tears.))

enjoying her Christmas gift from Mommy & Daddy...a pretty pink bounce-a-bout!

Christmas day at Nana and Grandpa's (my parents)

eek. i loooved this outfit. :)

playing with one of her new toys at Mamaw & Papaw G's (Kevin's parents)

i didn't get the chance to take 5 month pics on the 23rd, but these were all taken on the 23rd, 24th or 25th...{happy 5 months elaina rose}

A Bittersweet Goodbye

2010...by far, hands down, no questions asked - the best year of my life...all thanks to one moment, on one day involving myself, my husband and this precious little wrinkled bundle of joy. welcoming elaina into the world can't be topped. no way. no how. (though i'm certain it will be tied in about 4 or 5 years when we welcome baby G #2) so...yeah, i'm kinda sad to see 2010 end. however, i'm pretty stoked about 2011. elaina turning 1. new babies (NOT mine! haha.). weddings. hopefully a few getaways as a family of 3. loads to look forward to!

now for my list. if you know me very much, you know i LOVE lists. i've been a 'list maker' for as long as i can remember. okay. instead of calling this list '2011 New Years Resolutions' i'm calling it my '2011 to-do list'...nice, right?

1. Eat in a way that sets a good example: before she was even born, kevin and i had a discussion about how we'd raise Elaina as far as eating goes. we both decided on things like we will not offer her soda, sweets will be occasional treats, etc. i know some people think that's stupid (and i could care less) but we want to give her every possible chance at a healthy life that we can. SO, seeing as how i enjoy the occasional diet coke and looove me some junk food, i've realized i'm being a big fat hypocrite. bleh. thus, my 'to do' for 2011 is to eat in a way that elaina can look at one day and not have to say "well mommy, why can you eat cake and drink soda but i can't?" now, i'd like to think this will also lead to some lb. loss. that would be nice. :)

2. Organize my enemy: aka 'the garage'...yes, we have a TWO car garage. ask me how many cars are parked in it...ZERO. why? because i'm married to a packrat. :) i love him, i really do. however, i do NOT love his habit of hanging onto everything. i'm not exaggerating. i opened up a box out there one day and found receipts from random gas station snack runs...FROM 1999!!! see. told ya. i hate clutter. hate hate hate hate HATE it. seeing clutter is like having a buzzing mosquito in my ear. can. not. take. it. my husband, however, seems to enjoy it. not everything in the garage is his, so i guess i should cut him some slack...i'm gonna say about 50% is his, 30% is ours, and 20% is mine. if i have it my way, this 'to do' will be tackled ASAP. it will probably lead to a few arguments between us...but we'll make up quickly...or i'll throw ALL his stuff away while he's at work. muhahaha. (evil laugh) **there WILL be a whole post dedicated to this. i promise**

3. budget. budget. budget.: i envy people who set a budget and live by it. i wanna be 'that girl'...the one who allows $X for eating out, $X for clothing, etc. the main reason i want to be her is so that we can a) put more into savings and b) put more into elaina's college fund (b/c it's gonna be like $100k a semester by the time she's 18) we spend WAY too much money eating out. we really do need to get a hold on that number. hello excel.

4. stop procrastinating.: fold the laundry when it's done drying. wash the dishes after dinner. put away elaina's toys when she's finished with them. just little stuff that will make maintaining the house easier.

there's more on the list, but i won't bore you too much. these are my "biggies"...so, what are YOUR 'to do's'?

Santa saw me do WHAT?!?

BIG NEWS!

Elaina is napping in her crib (such a big girl!) so I thought I'd write a quick update.

Okay...we received big news yesterday...HUGE news...

My best friend from college is pregnant...and having TWINS!! I swear, I'm so excited you'd think I was the one having them! haha. I don't know about her, but I'm STILL in shock! ha. I'm so excited for her and her husband. She's posted pics on her blog of the two beautiful bebe's! I can't wait to find out if it's boys or girls! Regardless, Elaina and I are already sooo in love with them! :)

Congrats Tiffy! :)

thanksgiving - check. christmas - w.i.p

I can NOT believe Thanksgiving has already came and gone! Sheesh. This year has flown by.

Our first Thanksgiving with Elaina was great! As always, we ended up going to my parents for lunch and Kevin's parents for leftovers/dinner. I know it's hard to sympathize with us because we have to eat twice (okay, so maybe we don't have to!) but it's seriously so hard! Every year I promise myself I'm only going to eat a small plate at my parents so I'll have room for a small plate at Kevin's parents....it never works.
Elaina and I headed to VA on Wednesday and spent the day helping Mom bake and just hanging out at their house. Kevin's best friend, Adam, was flying in from Phoenix so Kevin went to pick him up after work. It was Elaina's first time meeting her uncle Adam and Kevin and I were both super excited to see him since he hadn't been in since our wedding! We stayed up past midnight catching up with him, which was nice.

Thursday was nice, yummy, and Elaina did great. Mom gave Elaina a taste of sweet potato, to which she made a hilarious face! She's still not a huge fan of her cereal, which is okay with me. Since the doctor told us the cereal is optional, I'm not super concerned with her not loving it. If she does learn to like it, great...if not, I'm sure she'll fall in love with real food when we start it.

We ended up staying in VA Thursday night too and headed home Friday. I didn't dare go out to any stores, but I did get some deals online!

Did I mention Elaina is now FOUR months old?? =( Having this week off from work to stay home with her has made me realize a few things a) i'd LOVE to be a SAHM :( b) she's grown up SO much. not just in size but just every little thing she does. she's so amazing.

I'll go ahead and do her 4 month update too. At her doctor appointment Tuesday, she weighed 17lbs 6oz (90th percentile) and is 26" (also 90th percentile). She had to have 3 shots but other than the dramatic fit she had when they gave her the actual shots and drowsiness, she didn't seem bothered by them at all. She's holding her head up like a champ, sitting up by HERSELF for about 30 seconds at a time, rolling over like a crazy woman, and staring at her toes and ALL other toes around her non-stop!! She's changed SO much in the past month. Mommy's baby is growing up way too fast.

Okay, is Christmas SERIOUSLY less than a month away?!?! I want to decorate for Christmas, BUT I've been too busy playing with Elaina all day, annndddd our tree is under a bunch of crap in the garage. Darn my husband for being a flippin' packrat. :P

Now for your viewing pleasure............

silly girl playing in her seat...notice the crazy hair :)

at Nana's getting ready to try some cereal.

we survived...TWICE!

What did we survive??



Our first TWO nights without Elaina!


As you may or may not know, Kevin is a DIE-HARD New Orleans Saints fan. By no means is he a "fair weather fan" who just jumped on the bandwagon when they won the superbowl. Nope, he's been a fan since he was in middle school! Anywho, I'd bought him tickets for his birthday to see them play the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte. So, to make a long story short, Elaina spent the night with Kevin's mom and dad...and needless to say, she did MUCH better than Kevin and I! We called probably 15 times in the 36ish hours we were gone. However, it was nice for Kevin and I to get away, just the two of us, for the first time in 16 weeks.

Then, we let her spend last night with MY parents because we both had to work today. She did great with them too! They had such a good time with her and were sad to see her go.

She's such a good baby and adapts to various environments so easily. She's so lucky to have two sets of amazing grandparents who are bananas about her.

Now don't think for one second that we're going to be "those parents" who ditch their kids every possible chance they get. Heck no. Not even close. Actually the night before we left for Charlotte I begged Kevin to just sell my ticket to someone else and let me stay home with her. He assured me she'd be fine and that it would be good for me to get away...and though I won't tell him, he was right! hehe.

We have family pictures/Elaina's 4 month pictures this coming Thursday with the WONDERFUL Kalyn! She's the same photographer who did Elaina's newborn pictures. We fell in LOVE with the results of our first shoot and thought it would be crazy to NOT have her do another...and another...and another...until she gets sick of us. haha. I can't wait to post the prints. Until then, you can see some of her other fantabulous works on her website.

OH, and HOW COULD I FORGET?? Two of my very very very best friends are going to be mommies!!!!! My dear BFF Tiffany is due in July and my long time friend/poshum pal Amanda is due in June! I'm so so so so soooo excited for them! They're both going to be AMAZING mothers and Elaina is going to have two more Mommy-approved friends to have playdates with! :)

happy halloween!

2 months till Christmas

Holy. Cow. TWO months!

Every single year on December 26th, I say "next year, i'm going to christmas shop through out the year so i'm not freaking at the last minute finding gifts" and every single year i'm still searching high and low the last week before Christmas for at least a few gifts.

However, I've bought TWO gifts so far this year...both for Elaina. Of course. Sadly, she's the only person I'm excited about shopping for.

This is her Bounce-A-Bout. I'm so excited to see her in it! Heck, I may give in and give it to her before Christmas. Not like she's going to know the difference. haha. Her party pooper daddy probably won't let me though...we'll just have to do it while he's at work! :) I think she's going to LOVE this. She's already putting weight on her legs and 'standing up' in our lap, so I think by Christmas she'll be jumping and bouncing like crazy.

Other than babies, people are SO hard to buy for! I never know what to get people and when you ask them you get "Oh, nothing." as a reply. I'll admit I'm guilty of saying that...so I can't complain too much. But I'm not buying for myself...though that would be easier. :D

Hrm...off to Amazon I go to get ideas.

3 months tomorrow...wait, WHAT!?

How can this be? My baby is 1/4 of a year old!
NOOOOOO! :(
Time needs to sloooow down.

Well, since that's not going to happen I guess I'll just have to suck it up and accept the fact that my little girl won't stay that 7lb 9oz baby I feel in love with at first sight. Instead, she's now a head holding, fist sucking, toe watching, cooing and drooling machine. She's changed so much over the past month!

Now, for some Elaina updates:
*Her bedtime is usually between 7 and 8 and she sleeps through the night till anywhere between 6 and 8. Uh, THANK GOD. This is seriously an answered prayer. She's such a good sleeper and Mommy really appreciates that now that I'm back at work.

*She eats probably around 30 - 34 ozs each day. She's had some tummy/gas issues, but her pediatrician suggested giving her Mylanta and it really seems to be helping...and she loves the taste. ew.

*0-3 months clothes are beginning to fit a little snug (depends on the size), but 3-6 months are still a tad long. Oh well. Oh, and most shoes she has are STILL too big. Is it that her foot is super skinny or do they make baby shoes extra wide??

*All that hair she lost around 5wks old is growing back QUICKLY. It seems to be a little lighter than before, and much thicker, but it's so soft and just kinda fuzzs out everywhere. So cute.

Here are some pictures from the past month. 3 month "sticker onesie" shoot to follow ASAP!

ABC's of yours truly :)

A is for AGE - 25
B is for BED SIZE - queen
C is for CHORE YOU HATE - putting laundry away
D is for DOG'S NAME - he's my parents dog, but his name is Benji.
E is for ESSENTIAL "START YOUR DAY" ITEM - a nice hot shower
F is for FAVORITE COLOR(S) - pink or turquoise
G is for GOLD OR SILVER - Silver...or white gold
H is for HEIGHT - 5'7"ish
I is for INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY - i played trumpet in HS
J is for JOB TITLE - operations manager
K is for KIDS - Elaina Rose :)
L is for LIVING ARRANGEMENTS - with the hubs and baby girl...bought our house in Oct '09
M is for MOTHER'S NAME - Sharon
N is for NICKNAMES - Poops, Granny (both from the lovely DH!), E,
O is for OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAYS OTHER THAN BIRTH - just our 1 night stay after having Elaina
P is for PET PEEVES - oh lord, the list is LONG.
Q is for QUOTE FROM A MOVIE - Go ahead! I ain't scared of no po po! call the po po, ho! call THE PO PO HO!!! ((loooove Madea!)
R is for RIGHT HANDED OR LEFT HANDED - Right
S is for SECRET CRUSH - Chris Daughtry...it's not a secret though!
T is for TIME YOU WAKE UP - around 6:30 usually.
U is for UNDERWEAR - not sure of the brand...whatever JCPenney has
V is for VEGETABLES YOU DISLIKE - onions, celery, peppers
W is for WORKOUT STYLE - um, not at all! that explains the extra 30lbs I'd LOVE to shed.
X is for X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD - stomach, knee, teeth
Y is for YESTERDAY'S BEST MOMENT - all the smiles from Elaina
Z is for ZOO FAVORITE - penguins

2 months.

Two months ago today we welcomed our beautiful baby girl into the world. :) I can't believe it's been that long. Being the total sap that I am, I started crying last night looking at her and realizing how much she's grown. I'm so proud of her...so in love with her...so happy to have her to call me 'Mommy'.

Elaina had her 2 month check-up this morning which included shots. Um, by the way...this mommy does NOT like seeing her baby girl get shots. :( It was horrible. I'll admit I cried. Anywho, she weighs 12lbs 12oz and is 23 1/2" long. 95th percentile for both. We asked the doctor about her little gagging episodes she has occasionally and he said it sounds like she has reflux. He suggested we set her in her carseat for 30-45 mins after feeding her to see if it helps. He also said that if she starts to cry everytime it happens that they'll start her on Zantac. Hopefully it doesn't get that bad. Other than that, he said she looks great!! :) Just what we wanted to hear.

By the way...she pooped on the doctor. hahahahaha! He was so nice about it though. Like he said "Any pediatrician who can't stand the smell or sight of poop should consider a new profession"

I'll post her 2 month pics ASAP. She's so tired from her shots that I'm not even going to attempt to torture her with a photoshoot. I even let her go without a hairbow today...I told her I was only making an exception b/c she was getting shots. :P

Here are a few pics taken of her since last update.

6 weeks...

6 weeks...I can't believe it. The day she was born I remember thinking "No going to the office for SIX weeks! It's going to feel like forever and I can't wait to spend it with Elaina!"...I was wrong. It flew by so fast...too fast. Now, I'm getting ready to head back to work on Tuesday. Needless to say, I'm NOT looking forward to it.

Elaina,
You're laying here beside me on your Boppy being a little "fuss pot" as I like to call it, squirming, whining and waving your arms...and I love it. I sometimes wonder how your Daddy and I ever lived in the house before it was filled with cries, baby farts, and adorable little coo's. It's hard for me to remember life before you. You have grown so much over the past 6 weeks, especially the last 2. Every single time I look at you, I swear you've changed. How is that possible? Your eyes just keep getting more and more blue, your legs keep getting longer, your belly keeps getting rounder, and your hair just keeps getting thinner. (boo!) You've brought so much happiness to so many people already...I can just imagine the next 6 weeks, 6 months, 6 years. Thank you for choosing me as your mommy...I'm so blessed to have you.

All my love...
Mommy

before heading to Mommy's 6wk check-up!

...counting your blessings

I get mad at myself sometimes because I feel like I go throughout life and don't appreciate all the good things that I've been blessed with...until I see, hear, or read something that smacks me in the face and says "BE GRATEFUL!"

A local family is going through a very tough time (understatement to say the least) that I honestly can't even imagine experiencing. Their son, who turns 18 tomorrow, is dying from cancer...they expect him to pass at any moment. God. I can't even begin to think about hearing the words "Your child has cancer". His mother keeps an online journal for him and I read a few entries this morning and eventually had to put my laptop away because I was crying so hard. This family is so strong and believing in God until the very end. I hate that I had to read her heartbreaking words to make me realize how much I have to be thankful for.

The past 5 1/2 weeks have been the best of my life. I couldn't even begin to thank God enough for sending this precious bundle into my world. But then I can't help but feel guilty for all the times I've cringed when she starts to cry, all the times I've been short with Kevin because I'm sleep deprived, or the times I've complained about having so many visitors. I can't promise I won't be hateful and I can't say I always enjoy 3a.m. feedings but I can say that I thank God for giving me someone who loves me more than anything and puts up with my moods and I thank him for a healthy baby girl who has the strength to wake-up at 3a.m. and cry for food. I vow now to take a moment every day and thank God for all my blessings...my family, my friends, my health, my job...all of it.

1 month

Happy One Month Elaina!

Letters to Elaina

I've decided to start (and keep!) a journal. Like the old fashioned hand written kind. There are so many little things that happen everyday now that Elaina is here that I want to be able to look back on and remember...and I want to be able to give her the journal so she can read how much joy she brought into her mommy and daddy's life. Maybe I'll give it to her on her 16th birthday, or HS graduation, or 18th birthday, or maybe just a random day...shew, all that is so far away (though I'm afraid time is going to start going by in fast forward!) that I have a while to get those details figured out.

I'm a sap.

But seriously. I'm gonna start one. I just gotta go buy a pretty journal...oh, and i think this is a good excuse for buying new ink pens. :) God I love ink pens. It's an obsession.

I'm a horrible blogger...I'm back. She's here.

Okay. Smack my hand. I'll admit, I've just been flat out lazy and not updated this thing. This post however, will catch you up! :)

Where to begin. Okay, last time I updated I was like 30 wks pregnant and I'm happy to say, the last 9 weeks of my pregnancy were pretty uneventful. Yeah, I got huge (or at least I felt huge!), I had heartburn every-stinkin'-day, my feet were swollen, and I had a baby butt stuck in my ribs all the time...but really, I can't complain too much! So, blah blah blah, to the good part! :)

At my 39 week check-up I was dilated 3 cm and 80% effaced. Dr Harmon offered to sweep my membranes to hopefully get things started and I took her up on the offer...until she started the process...HOLY CRAP. It huuurrrrtttt...so she stopped. Anywho, I left the office that day with an appointment for an induction the following Friday, July 23rd. By no means did I want to be induced, but my doctor was getting ready to leave the country and I really didn't want anyone else delivering for me. Cause I'm weird like that.
On Thursday night (22nd) I get a call from the hospital telling me they're not going to be able to admit me the following day b/c the birthing center was nearly full. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. We had gotten so excited about our little girl finally being here only to learn we were going to have to wait. :(

Little did we know...she had other plans.

Friday morning I woke up at 5a.m. with wet undies. I seriously thought I'd peed myself. So, I went to the bathroom and noticed it didn't look like or smell like pee. I decided to go ahead and take a shower just in case. While in the shower I started having contractions, but I wasn't leaking anymore fluid so I just played them off as stomach cramps. After I finished getting ready I woke Kevin up and told him I thought my water had broke and that I was maybe having contractions. So, he took a shower and spent the next hour walking around like a nervous wreck. By 6:30 I was 110% sure I was having contractions so we headed to the hospital. When I got out of the car at the hospital parking lot my water finished breaking and I had a huge gush run down my leg. Hot. I know. So, I waddled upstairs to the birthing center looking like a 4 year old who had wet her pants. I went to the desk and told the nurses I was suppose to be induced but my water had broken. They then put me in the triage room and started monitoring my contractions and Elaina's heartbeat. The OB resident came in, introduced himself, and checked me. I was 4cms. They did 2 different tests and came back to say "Your water has broke."....my reaction? "Oh really? I kinda noticed when it gushed down my leg outside!" :) The contractions got pretty strong pretty fast so I was NOT a very nice person. I basically looked at the resident and said "You need to get me in a room and get my epidural ASAP if you want a nice patient!"

Dr. Harmon came by to check on me and was super excited that I'd went into labor on my own! She's such a sweetheart and I'm so glad she was able to deliver Elaina! After she checked me, they put me in a room and started my IV. From day 1 I've told everyone the part I was most worried about was the IV. Guess what...it was nothing compared to the contractions! Heck, they numb your hand before they put the IV in so I didn't feel anything. Yay! I had tested Group B Strep positive, so they started the antibiotics and fluids. The nurse said I needed to get a whole bag of fluid in me before they'd give my epidural. I told her to crank the machine up as high as it would go! haha. The contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and hurt like HELL! Holy. Crap. When they asked my pain tolerance on a scale from 1-10 I told them 6...I later told them to change that to a 2. Not even kidding. People who naturally deliver babies are superheros. I do NOT know how they do it.

By this time, my parents and Kevin's mom had made it to the hospital. My poor Daddy was a nervous wreck. He hated seeing me in pain and everytime a contraction would start he'd have to turn his back to me so he couldn't see my face. It was so sweet. haha. Kevin, was a mess too. Pretty sure I damaged a few of his fingers when I was squeezing his hand during the contractions. He was amazing though. I couldn't have asked for a better support system! :)

Then...the gates of Heaven opened and angels started singing. Well, actually the door opened and in walked the anesthesiologist. I could've hugged her...but I was in so much pain I couldn't get up. Ha. By this time I was 6cms dilated and the contractions were INTENSE. The epidural was put in and I can't really remember if it hurt or not. Pretty sure it didn't...but I was too busy hyperventilating. That's right...dramatic I know...but I'm telling ya, I'm a total weiner when it comes to pain. Anywho, after the epidural was in and started working I was on cloud 9! My parents were cracking up at me because I was so relaxed, cracking jokes, texting...you name it. I'm serious. If you're not sure about an epidural, let me just give you two words of advice. GET. IT. the end.

Anywho, long story short...the resident came in again around noon and checked me. He looked at me and said "You're complete"...to which I said "Completely what?!". haha. Pretty sure the resident thought I was on crack. He kept joking with me and saying "You're not evil now that you have your epidural."...I'd like to see HIM in labor!! So, they called Dr Harmon to come back to the hospital (her office is like 2 minutes away!) and told us I was ready to push!! So, at about 12:30 I started pushing. Miss Elaina decided to twist while coming down the birth canal...so instead of being face down, she was face up...which made it more difficult for her to come out which lead to 90 minutes of pushing!! But, finally at 2:09 p.m. Elaina Rose came into the world kicking and screaming!! It was so surreal when I looked down and they held her up! I couldn't believe she was OURS and finally here after all the waiting!!! Kevin watched the whole delivery process and held my leg while I pushed. I really wasn't sure if he would want to watch "down there" but he did and is so proud of it! As soon as Elaina's head was out all he could say was "Oh my God, that's my little girl!"...it was so sweet.
She didn't come out with doing some damage to Mommy though. I had two 2nd degree tears that were pretty bad because it took the doctors forever to sew me up. Oh well. A minor payment for our baby girl!

Elaina was 7lbs 9.5ozs and 20" long...with a head FULL of hair!! :)

After everything was finished, the grandparents, my brother, Kevin's brother & sister-in-law, our nephew, two of my aunts and a close friend of mine all came in to see our new bundle. Of course everyone fell in love! We had company pretty much the rest of the day and all 3 of us were exhausted by 10:00!

So far everything has been great. Elaina is doing wonderful. At her check-up the Monday after she was born she hadn't lost any weight so the doctor was very happy with that and said breastfeeding seemed to be going great! I'm still breastfeeding her but I've decided to pump and feed her from a bottle. I've had some issues with her latch, major pain and feeling helpless. I never realized how emotional breastfeeding can be. I actually enjoy bottle feeding her more because she watches me the whole time and I can watch her. Plus she seems to get more full from the bottle and has slept longer. The most important thing to me isn't HOW she gets the breastmilk, as long as she gets it. The benefits of breastfeeding are unreal and I want to give her the best start possible.
Kevin is so in love. Seriously, it's precious. He lives for this little girl. I honestly could NOT ask for a better father for her and partner for myself. He's amazing.

And now...a few pictures of our baby girl! :)

holding her for the first time

i love this picture of her and Kevin...even though you can't see either of their faces

3 days old...ready for her first doctor visit

2 weeks old

...she looks like ME! :)

I'm not bragging...but our little girl is adoooorable!! At first I couldn't tell by the 4D pictures who she looked like, but Kevin and the ultrasound tech both agree she looks like her momma! :) I just said "Ah!" but Kevin is ecstatic that she looks like me! So sweet. haha.

Okay, let me go back to my last update and start from there. Sorry. I just had to share the news of her adorableness.

ANYWHO...my last appointment was the 28 week check-up which included the glucose tolerance test. Not gonna lie, I was dreading the appointment for two reasons...1)I was terrified the glucose drink would be disgusting and I'd throw up in front of everyone and 2) because I knew they would be taking blood. It's not that I'm a total weiner about having blood taken (only a semi-weiner!) but the last time they had to try FOUR times before hitting the vein. That's three times too many in my book!

Oh, and let me add that little miss Elaina had decided her favorite spot was now on mommy's sciatic nerve. So, I'd been in horrible pain and barely able to walk for like 3 days prior to this appointment!

So, I get to the dr office, weigh in (up a total of 5lbs from appointment #1), have my blood pressure taken (it was "great"!), listen to Elaina's heartbeat on the doppler (144) and then they hand me the drink. It looked great...like orange soda. So, I open it and chug like 1/2 the bottle. I wait for the gagging...and nothing. It actually wasn't that bad. It tasted like orange Gatorade kinda...just sweeter. So, I really had no problem drinking it in the allowed 5 minutes. After finishing it off (with a small burp I might add...hey, there was no one in the room and it felt good!) the nurse practioner came in to see me. I'd been considering asking them to change my assigned doctor, so I brought it up. She said that they'd be more than happy to change that for me if I wanted them to...so, we're now assigned to Dr Harmon! yay! She checked my ankels for swelling, measured my belly (27.5 inches!), and gave me information on local birthing/parenting/breastfeeding classes. I mentioned my back pain/difficulty in walking and she agreed that it was Elaina on my sciatic nerve...then said "It's horrible...and there's nothing we can do about it." WELL THANKS FOR THAT RAY OF SUNSHINE! sheesh. I could've cried. Idon't know what I expected them to do, but just hearing that there was nothing available made me even more miserable. ((Good news...Elaina's mothers day gift to me was moving OFF the nerve! Thank you baby girl...Mommy REALLY appreciated that!)) So anyway, I finished up with the NP, waited the rest of the 60 minutes required for the GT test, and went to have my blood taken. Thank God the lady hit it the first time and I barely felt it. I could've hugged her! :)

They called me the next day with my results and said everything looked great, except my thyroid which could be fixed by increasing my medicine. I was so relieved to hear I didn't have gestational diabetes. My mom had it with both my brother and me, but was lucky and had no complications whatsoever! However, I figured with her having it, I'd be at a higher risk...thank God for answering that prayer!

Now onto the 4D goodies...

Kevin and I had discussed having the 4D ultrasound done, but my regular office charges $200. I couldn't see spending that much money on it...till I heard about a place down the road that only charged $100. So, I told Kevin about it and said that I'd let him make the decision. Well, this uber excited daddy couldn't pass up the chance to see his little girl...so we made the appointment. And now, I am SO glad we did. It was amazing. Here are a few pictures...

with her foot in her face. it must be comfy b/c that's been her position of choice during the last TWO ulrasounds.

looks like we have a thumbsucker!

...who sleeps just like her daddy--with her arm up over her face!

See...told ya she's a doll! :) Now, after seeing these pictures and her in action, Kevin and I are bouncing off the walls and oh-so-ready for her to make her debut! We've told her to cook for at least 6 or 7 more weeks at least...then get her booty out here so Mommy & Daddy can hug and love and kiss on her!

26 weeks & 5 days...last update of 2nd trimester!

I can't believe it. This will be my last update in the 2nd trimester! As of Tuesday, I'll be in the "home stretch"...eek! Scary AND exciting!

They say the 1st trimester sucks, 2nd trimester is smooth sailing, and 3rd trimester is full of discomfort. Well...2nd wasn't exactly "smooth" for me. No, it wasn't horrible, but my morning sickness hung around till about week 20, I had a UTI at week 24, my back has killed me for the last 6 weeks and I feel huge. haha. Regardless, I've enjoyed the 2nd trimester because it brought more good than bad! Finding out our little one is a girl, feeling her move for the first time, feeling her move from the outside the first time, Kevin getting to feel her move, watching my stomach roll while she kicks and dances, and finally looking pregnant! haha. So...I'm sad to see this trimester end, but I know we're getting close to her arrival and that makes it all worth it!!

Total weight gain/loss: at my last appointment I'm finally over my starting weight...by 2 pounds! :)
Maternity clothes? yes please...I need more though!
Stretch marks? dang it. I wish I could say 'no'...but I can't. :( I have two. They're very faint and so far down on my stomach I'll never have to worry about anyone (other than myself and Kevin) seeing them...but I bawled like a baby when I found them. Kevin reassured me it was okay, promised he still loved me (b/c mid-sob I said "you won't love me with a road map on my stomach!!") and reminded me they were momentos of an amazing time in our lives. aww.
Sleep: Honestly, we're trying to get as much as possible now b/c we know we won't get this luxury for like 18 years! haha.
Best moment this week: getting the crib and dresser into the nursery
Movement: oh my lord! she's SO active! i love it...even though it's slightly uncomfortable sometimes! haha. i think she's gonna be a great soccer player!
Food cravings: nope. nothing really.
Gender: still a girl! :)
Labor Signs: nada.
Belly Button in or out? in, but it's not as "deep" as before. haha.
Wedding rings on or off? still on! :)
What I miss: hrm. other than the drink I mentioned last time, nothing really. :)
What I am looking forward to: holding our little girl for the first time. we're so anxious.
Weekly Wisdom: Just because you babysit a kid one time doesn't qualify you to give me parenting advice...and pregnancy is NOT a handicap. You are not dead nor helpless so get over yourself. (sorry...i feel better now.)
Milestones: End of 2nd trimester/Beginning of 3rd!! :) yippee!

nursery on a budget!

I believe it's 50 times more fun to decorate on a budget than what I suppose it is to decorate on a unlimited budget (i wouldn't know...but i'm just guessing!)

I knew when we started the nursery that there was NO WAY i wanted to spend tons of $ on it. I wanted her to have a nice room, but honestly Elaina's (or any child for that matter!) not going to be any better of a person because she has a $1500 crib instead of a $400 crib. So...I just wanted to share some great bargains I've found thus far as proof that decorating CAN be done for cheap.

These letters are wooden and were painted white already. I wanted something "girly" and cute so when I found these at Hobby Lobby I knew they would be perfect. However, they were full priced...$2.99 each. Okay, call me cheap but $3 x 6 letters = $18 + tax (which is 10% in TN!). So, being the admitted cheap-o that I'm proud to be I decided to wait because I know how Hobby Lobby works. They rotate stuff on 50% off ALL THE TIME! Why would I pay full price when chances are they would be on sale in a week. SOOOOO...I waited and sure enough next time, they were on sale! $1.50 x 6 letters = $9...much better! :)

I found this rug at Kirklands...one of my absolute favorite stores in the world. I could honestly spend an entire months income in there in about 30 minutes and leave still wanting more. Anywho, I knew I wanted a "pop of color" but was having a hard time finding a rug I liked that was the right size and NOT $100+. So, the day I walked into Kirklands and saw this beauty rolled up I about peed my pants. Even better, it was marked down from $30 (still a great price!) to $24.99...THEN when the wonderful man at the register rang it up it was only $20!!! Yippee!

So, those are my two favorite bargains so far. I have a few more that are "projects in progress" so you'll just have to wait on those! Until then...happy bargain shopping! :)

...more nursery progress!

Thank God for grandparents! :)

Elaina's nana and grandpa (my mom & dad) came down this weekend and put together the crib and dresser for us! Kevin had to travel to VA Saturday morning, but got home just in time to see the finished product...then fuss at us for not waiting on him! haha. Anyway, the room is looking GREAT! I am SO happy with it!

Here are a few pics from the weekend...

yay for Nana and Grandpa

Kevin's home and likes what he sees!! :)

Moving the crib into place.

Nana working on the wall letters. Thank God for her b/c there's no way mine would have been straight OR centered!

Kevin & I...can you tell how excited we are for our little girl to get here??

the "thus far" picture. we LOVE how it's coming together!

Hear Ye. Hear Ye.

If I want your parental advice, I will ask for it.

If I don't ask for it, keep you big fat mouth shut.

If you aren't a mother...I don't even think you have the right to give an opinion. I'm not a mother yet, and I keep my mouth shut when other moms talk about how they raise their kids.

This little girl is going to be the child of Kevin and I...therefore, WE will be the ones who make all decisions on how she will or will not be raised. I honestly couldn't give a rats ass if you agree with it or not. She's not your child. Have your own and raise them the way you choose.



Thankyouhaveagooddayandeffoff. :)

2 excited grandmas + paint + nursery=progress! :)

I promised a few pictures of the nursery thus far, so here they are...more to come very soon! :)

the excited mommy & daddy after clearing out the room and taping off all the molding and such!

i go to work for 4.5 hours and come home to this! thank God for grandma's! :)

my mom working on the wall design that will be above the crib.

the paint colors are Disney by Behr...closet is 'TinkerBell' and the rest of the room is 'Timeless Tales'.

the grandma's finishing up the wall design.

all finished...except for her name (which will be the white wooden letters in the picture ^ up there)

love love love love LOVE how it turned out! :)
(pardon the dresser in the middle of the floor. it's going in the nursery closet for extra storage so we didn't really see much use carrying it out...plus it's heavy and worked well for a catch all! ha)

24 week check-up!

Friday was my 24 week check-up.

Things went well, for the most part. My first stop was the potty to leave a urine sample, then the nurse weighed me and took my blood pressure. I'd been below my starting weight up until this appointment...now I'm +2 lbs. Nothing to complain about. At 24 (almost 25) weeks pregnant, I'm thinking +2 is pretty darn good. My mom only gained 17 lbs with my brother and 21 lbs with me, so I'm hoping my weight gain stays in that range too! For my starting BMI my suggested weight gain is 15-25 lbs and for my health, as well as Elaina's, I want to keep it as close to that as possible. I know some people say "Aw, you're gonna gain more than that. Just eat what you want" but I want to stay as healthy as possible so Elaina will too! I'm not saying I'm dieting or not eating what I want, but I do try to make wise choices. If I do gain more than 25, oh well. I won't be upset.

After the weight and BP check, the nurse listened to Elaina's heartbeat. It was kinda funny. Everytime she'd put the doppler over Elaina and find her heartbeat, Elaina would kick the doppler and move...so the nurse would have to start her search all over again. ha. Stubborn, like her daddy! ;) (Kung Fu baby anyone?)

I got to see Dr Harmon again this time and I must say, I really like her. I'm assigned to another doctor (which I haven't got to meet yet b/c the appointment when I was suppose to meet him, he got called out for an emergency c-section) but I really think I'm going to ask next time if I can be reassigned. Dr Harmon is just so nice and easy to talk to.

She told me my urine sample showed there were white blood cells present, which she informed me meant I have a urinary tract infection. She asked if my back had been hurting lately and I said "oh my gosh yes!!"...and according to her, while part of that pain is just a normal pregnancy pain, the majority of it was from the infection. Thank God they found that infection because my back pain was getting unbearable...to the point where Kevin would have to help me off the couch and out of the bed. So, she prescribed me a 7 day antibiotic and said they would make sure to check next time that everything had cleared up. Dr Harmon also measured my stomach (first time I've had that done) and said I was measuring perfectly. Yippee for that!

Last, I asked her about cord blood banking.

((dr harmon recommended CBR for cord blood banking))

Kevin and I have discussed the topic since finding out we were pregnant. Before researching it, I didn't really get what the big uproar was about, but now it makes so much more sense to me. Not only that, but some of Kevin's family members have kids who have had life changing injuries and could have used that childs cord blood to help them. However, cord blood banking is so new that they didn't really have that information available when these kids were born. So, Kevin and I see it as a blessing that so much research and information is out there that we can make a conscious decision on banking. By all means, we hope that we NEVER have to use Elaina's cord blood...but the 'What If?' is always there and I'd feel so guilty if we had this opportunity and turned it down only to regret that decision in 5,10,15 years. The cord blood banking is NOT cheap, but Kevin's parents have seen how it could've changed the lives of people close to them, and have offered to pay for it as a gift to us AND Elaina. Honestly, there's no better gift they could've offered. We're so grateful to them...and like they've told us, having that reassurance that if something did happen to her, we'd have her cord blood to possibly cure her is priceless. Dr. Harmon said she suggests cord blood banking to anyone who asks her about it. She said the results they've had with it already is amazing, and to just think about what they'll be able to cure in 5 or 10 more years. I know cord blood is controversial with some people, and to each their own, but for Kevin and I the health of Elaina is more important than any political debate.

I go back to the Dr on May 6th...then they'll do the glucose test (which I'm dreading), a HIV test that's required by the state of TN, and my thyroid blood work. Can't say I'm excited about all the blood I'll be losing. ha.

Oh, and we started on the nursery this weekend. It's painted and looking gorgeous! I'll post pictures soon!